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Timberwolves Waive Nikola Pekovic

June 20th, 2017 at 10:22pm CST by Luke Adams

10:22pm: The Wolves will receive cap relief for Pekovic’s remaining salary, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News confirms (Twitter link).

4:12pm: The Nikola Pekovic era in Minnesota is over, with the Timberwolves formally announcing today that they’ve waived the veteran center (Twitter link).

Pekovic had a couple very productive seasons for the Timberwolves in 2012/13 and ’13/14, averaging 16.9 PPG and 8.7 RPG in 116 games during that stretch. However, he has long been plagued by injuries, having never appeared in more than 65 games in a season. In 2015/16, Pekovic played in just 12 games before being shut down. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA contest since then due to ankle and Achilles issues.

“For two years I have struggled with this injury,” Pekovic said back in December. “I have been mentally exhausted. This year I went to Minneapolis for two months and I did everything possible to return to the court, but there are times when you simply can’t. I can’t run without pain.”

While the Wolves’ announcement on Pekovic didn’t mention the team’s cap situation, it’s believed that medical retirement is the next step for him. A determination on Pekovic’s health must be made by a doctor who is jointly approved by the NBA and the players’ union, as was the case for Chris Bosh in Miami.

Assuming that independent doctor indeed rules Pekovic medically unfit to continue playing, Minnesota would immediately be able to eliminate his cap charges for the rest of his contract. The Wolves are currently on the hook for $11.6MM in 2017/18 for Pekovic, so medical retirement would create an extra chunk of cap room for the team.

Dwyane Wade To Pick Up Option, Stay With Bulls

June 20th, 2017 at 5:20pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Dwyane Wade has informed the Bulls that he will pick up his player option for next season, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago reports (link via Twitter). Wade’s option for 2017/18 is worth $23.8MM.

Wade, who will turn 36 next January, remains productive, but is coming off a season in which his numbers reached their lowest point since his rookie year. The 14-year veteran averaged 18.3 PPG with a career-low .434 FG% in 60 games for Chicago, failing to earn an All-Star nod for the first time since 2003/04.

Given his declining production, Wade would have had a very hard time finding an offer on the open market that would pay him anything close to the value of his option with the Bulls, so it’s no surprise that he’ll exercise it.

Interestingly, Wade’s decision comes at a time when the Bulls are reportedly becoming more open to the possibility of trading Jimmy Butler. Reports have indicated that Wade has little interest in going through a rebuild, so if Chicago does blow up its roster by moving Butler in the coming days, it’s not out of the question that the team could look to move Wade as well — though his salary would make him a tricky trade chip.

For the time being, Wade is on track to return to a roster that features Butler and Rajon Rondo for at least one more year.

Luke Adams contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs’ David Lee Expected To Decline Player Option

June 20th, 2017 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran big man David Lee is expected to opt out of his contract with the Spurs this summer, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (via Twitter). Lee has a player option worth the minimum salary for 2017/18, and would have earned a guaranteed $2.33MM salary if he had opted in, but he’ll head back to the free agent market instead.

News of Lee’s decision comes on the heels of a report indicating that teammate Pau Gasol will also turn down his ’17/18 player option with the Spurs. However, Gasol is expected to work out a new deal that allows him to remain in San Antonio, perhaps for multiple seasons. It’s not clear yet if Lee will be back with the club.

Lee, 34, had a nice season as a role player in San Antonio, averaging 7.3 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 79 games (18.7 MPG). His .590 FG% was also his best mark in a decade.

Given his respectable showing last season, Lee’s decision to opt out isn’t a surprising one. Even if he’s not able to land more than the minimum as a free agent this summer, he won’t lose out on any money, and he could tack on an extra year of security.

Pau Gasol Opting Out, Plans To Re-Sign With Spurs

June 20th, 2017 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Pau Gasol will turn down his player option for the 2017/18 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). However, Gasol intends to work out a new deal with the Spurs that will allow him to continue his career in San Antonio, Wojnarowski adds.

Gasol’s decision could have significant implications for the Spurs’ offseason and the club’s pursuit of free agents. The veteran big man would have earned about $16.2MM if he had exercised his option, but it sounds as if he’s willing to accept at a lesser rate to remain with the Spurs. The team will likely tack on a second or third guaranteed year to repay Gasol for taking a pay cut in 2017/18.

Depending on how much Gasol’s salary is reduced, the Spurs could open up an extra chunk of cap room that will allow the team to be players in free agency. Without taking Gasol into consideration, San Antonio already has nearly $73.5MM in guaranteed salaries on its books for 2017/18. That doesn’t include possible deals for Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills, and Jonathon Simmons, and still wouldn’t leave enough room to sign a veteran to a maximum salary contract, but removing Gasol’s option from the equation is the first step toward creating some flexibility.

Gasol saw his numbers drop off substantially during his first season with the Spurs, as he played a lesser role for the team than he had for other clubs. However, he remained efficient when he did play. Averaging a career-low 25.4 minutes per game, the Spaniard chipped in 12.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.1 BPG. He also developed into a three-point shot, shooting an eye-popping 53.8% from outside, with 0.9 threes per game.

As our player option decision tracker shows, the Spurs are also waiting to hear from David Lee about his minimum salary player option for 2017/18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pistons’ Aron Baynes Declines Player Option

June 20th, 2017 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons big man Aron Baynes has turned down his player option for the 2017/18 season, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). As our list of early player option decision dates shows, Baynes had to make a call on his $6.5MM option today.

Baynes, 30, was a part-time player for the Pistons in 2016/17, averaging 15.5 minutes per contest in 75 games. In his modest role, he averaged 4.9 PPG and 4.4 RPG, with a .513 FG%. The five-year veteran, who has spent two years in Detroit after playing for the Spurs for three seasons, will hit the unrestricted free agent market on July 1.

While it’s possible Baynes will be back with the Pistons, the team already has upwards of $95MM in guaranteed salaries without him on the books, and that doesn’t account for a potential new deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With Boban Marjanovic possibly ready to play more minutes, and 2016 first-rounder Henry Ellenson perhaps in line for a larger frontcourt role as well, the Pistons may opt to let Baynes sign elsewhere.

You can check out our full list of this summer’s player option decisions right here.

Kevin Durant To Opt Out, Re-Sign With Warriors

June 19th, 2017 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant will opt out of his contract with the Warriors this month, but he won’t be going anywhere, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Haynes reports that Durant will re-sign with the Warriors in July after declining his player option and technically becoming an unrestricted free agent. Both moves – Durant’s opt-out and his new deal with Golden State – had long been expected, but now we have confirmation.

When Durant first signed with the Warriors last summer, he opted against inking a long-term deal, instead signing a two-year contract that featured a player option in year two. With nine years of NBA experience heading into the 2016/17 season, Durant was one year short of becoming eligible for the higher maximum salary for players with 10+ years of experience. He’ll now be able to sign a deal that starts at 35% of the cap instead of 30%.

However, as Haynes details, it doesn’t appear that Durant will sign a full maximum salary contract this summer. Having controlled Durant for just one season, the Warriors don’t have his full Bird rights, which would allow the team to go over the cap to sign him to a max deal. Instead, Golden State has Durant’s Non-Bird rights, which allow for a 20% raise.

In order to sign Durant to a max contract starting at a projected $35.35MM, the Warriors would need to clear the necessary cap room, which would mean renouncing their Bird rights on other key free agents like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. A 20% raise on Durant’s previous salary would result in a starting rate of about $31.85MM — less than the true max, but more than he would have received by exercising his player option ($27.73MM). Durant’s willingness to accept a 20% raise will also give the Warriors more flexibility to re-sign Iguodala and Livingston.

According to Haynes, all signs point to Durant signing another two-year deal with an opt-out after year one. That would allow the 28-year-old to become a free agent again next summer and sign a long-term deal with the Warriors worth the full max. At that point, Golden State would hold Durant’s Early Bird rights — those Early Bird rights won’t allow for a five-year contract, but Durant could get the max for four years without the team having to use cap room.

Durant’s first full season in Golden State was an unequivocal success, as the former MVP was more efficient than ever, making a career-high 53.7% of his shots in 62 regular season games. He added 25.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.6 BPG, and helped buoy the Warriors to a 16-1 playoff run, earning his first championship and the NBA Finals MVP award.

In addition to locking up Durant to a new deal in July, the Warriors are also on track to work out a new agreement with Stephen Curry. Golden State’s other former MVP will be in line for a five-year contract worth a projected $205MM, since he’s eligible for the Designated Veteran Extension.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixers Acquire No. 1 Pick From Celtics, Will Take Fultz

June 19th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 19: The Celtics have formally issued a press release announcing the trade, making it official. Here’s how the finalized deal looks:

Sixers acquire:

No. 1 overall pick in 2017

Celtics acquire:

No. 3 overall pick in 2017
Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick if it falls between No. 2 and No. 5. If Lakers’ pick doesn’t convey, Celtics will acquire more favorable of Kings’ or Sixers’ 2019 first-round pick (unless that pick is No. 1 overall, in which case the Celtics will acquire less favorable selection).

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this trade, which puts us in the enviable position of selecting first overall in consecutive draft years,” Sixers president Bryan Colangelo said in Philadelphia’s own announcement confirming the deal. “History suggests that No. 1 has the greatest odds of producing franchise-level talent and we are confident that this year’s draft class has that very potential. Thursday night will see us take another significant step toward building a successful and sustainable basketball program.”

JUNE 17: The Celtics and Sixers have reached an agreement on a deal that will send the first overall pick to Philadelphia, David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets. The trade will be finalized on Monday and the Sixers will select University of Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, Aldridge adds.

Boston will receive the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft from Philadelphia, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com.

Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets that the Celtics will also receive one future first-rounder along with that pick. Boston will receive the 2018 first-rounder that the Lakers owe the Sixers with protections, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. If it doesn’t convey, the Sixers will instead give up the Kings‘ first-rounder that Sacramento owes to Philadelphia, Wojnarowski adds. Wojnarowski originally reported the Celtics would get both of those picks.

The Celtics will receive that Lakers pick if it’s anywhere between No. 2 and No. 5, Philadelphia-based reporter Derek Bodner tweets. Otherwise, Boston will get the Kings pick in 2019.

The league made a rule change last summer which allowed teams to put protection on unprotected picks they had received in a previous trade, Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets.

The Lakers were interested in trading up to snag Fultz but the Sixers’ ability to hand over another high first-rounder was more than Los Angeles could offer, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.

The final piece to the puzzle was for Fultz to formally work out with the Sixers and that occurred on Saturday night, as Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reports. “I’m truly blessed to be in this position,” Fultz told Reynolds and other reporters at the workout. “Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to taking my talents to wherever I go.”

While the uncertainty over which player will go No. 1 has apparently been clarified, it’s still unknown what the Lakers will do. Most experts anticipate they’ll choose UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, which would leave Kansas swingman Josh Jackson available for the Celtics at the No. 3 slot.

The Celtics now have a huge stockpile of future first-rounders at their disposal to facilitate a deal for a star player. They already own the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, plus the first-rounders of the Clippers and Grizzlies in 2019, along with a handful of second-round picks.

The trade gives the Sixers a dream backcourt of back-to-back No. 1 overall picks, with Fultz joining Ben Simmons, who sat out last season with a foot injury.

Jerry West To Accept Position With Clippers

June 14th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Special consultant Jerry West will leave the Warriors for a similar job with the Clippers, reports Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated.

The Hall of Famer spent six years with Golden State, helping the organization build a team that won two titles in the past three years. He also has front office experience with the Lakers and Grizzlies and was twice named Executive of the Year.

“I’ve told myself time and time again that I would get out of the business when I felt I had nothing to contribute,” West told McCallum. “But I just don’t feel that’s the case. I don’t feel like I’m ready to stop. Sometimes I feel ageless.”

West, who recently turned 79, confirmed over the weekend that he received an offer to join the Clippers in an advisory role. Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers were hoping to convince him to stay with Golden State, but West opted to make the move. Sources tell McCallum that the relationship between West and the Warriors’ ownership group had grown somewhat strained, though West declined to comment on that, calling the team’s owners “top-notch.”

The veteran executive returns to Los Angeles, where he was a legendary player then later built two dominant teams — the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s and the Shaquille O’Neal–Kobe Bryant version at the turn of the century. According to reports (Twitter links), West had interest in returning to the Lakers this summer, but that interest wasn’t reciprocated.

Nuggets Promote Karnisovas, Scramble Bucks’ GM Search

June 14th, 2017 at 4:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Arturas Karnisovas, one of the finalists for the Bucks’ vacant GM position, has accepted a promotion from the Nuggets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

Denver owner Stan Kroenke has promoted Karnisovas to general manager and made GM Tim Connelly the new president of basketball operations (Twitter link). Karnisovas has withdrawn as a candidate in Milwaukee (Twitter link).

He and Bucks assistant GM Justin Zanik were reportedly the two finalists for the position, which opened up when John Hammond was hired last month as the new GM in Orlando. Former Hawks GM and current advisor Wes Wilcox was also listed as a finalist in stories last week.

Karnisovas, 46, has been serving as assistant GM with the Nuggets since 2013. He was also a candidate for the Nets’ open GM job last year.

Sixers Exercise Team Option On Robert Covington

June 14th, 2017 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have exercised their team option for the 2017/18 season on Robert Covington, the team announced today in a press release. A decision on the option had been due later this month.

The move is a formality that has little impact on Philadelphia’s offseason plans, since Covington’s salary remains non-guaranteed even after his option has been exercised. According to Basketball Insiders’ data, $53,547 of Covington’s $1,577,230 salary for next season will become guaranteed on August 9, but the rest of his salary won’t be fully guaranteed until January.

Although Covington doesn’t really receive any more security with today’s transaction, there’s little doubt that the Sixers will eventually guarantee his ’17/18 salary. The four-year veteran, who is still on a minimum salary contract, has been a key contributor in Philadelphia’s rotation for the last few years. In 2016/17, he averaged 12.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG, and 2.0 3PT, while playing solid perimeter defense.

Covington will be extension-eligible during the coming season, as he enters the final year of his contract. If he plays out his final year without working out a new deal with the Sixers, the 26-year-old is on track to reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018.